The ‘Private’ Gremlin:
WAYS TO SHARE WITHOUT OVERSHARING
Wow, what a week it's been - an emotional roller coaster, and that was just by Wednesday. This got me thinking…
As an artist, where is the boundary between using your experience as a source of inspiration and protecting the privacy of others?
Ultimately it comes down to maturity, discerning the situation, staying true to your word and keeping the trust and faith of those you are serving. AND YET. As artists - we are sensitive gremlins cut from different cloth.
That means our experience is only finished after we've expressed ourselves uniquely - it's the Gremlin path.
And so, back to the initial question.
How do you keep your life private while using your art to navigate through life?
Here are some options I've found:
Don't share it. Write it out, process it, draw it, and discard it or keep it for your eyes only.
Wait. If the above option births something delicious, and you can't bring yourself to discard your art, give yourself the option of sharing the story once the emotional charge has dissipated.
Share it with friends or a close trusted circle - this is the Gremlins?
Share it publicly, but omit specific names and details and centre on your perspective.
Create the piece of art from the other person's perspective - a cathartic and therapeutic way of processing the situation.
Share it privately with the person it's about. Perhaps the most vulnerable situation, but it could also be the most rewarding and lead to collaboration, a deeper understanding and a more honest connection.
And, of course. There is the final option - go all out and share the whole story. Don't let it come off as gossip. That's not the Gremlin way. Use the narrative artistically and intelligently and spin gold from it. This option comes with the potential risk of conflict and losing your reputation as someone who can be confounded, so make sure that if you choose this path, it's worth taking and sharing serves a greater purpose.
P.S I started recording some of the conversations and sounds to be dropped for the Evolving Out Loud Poemcast - here is a private link to a sneak peek of the sounds we are working on ;)
I hope this helps you navigate through the journey that is life.
Love K x
